(10 May 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ndjamena, Chad - 09 May 2024
1. Various of military personnel and supporters of Mahamed Deby celebrating near the presidency palace
2 .Various of young supporters of Deby in streets of Ndjamena
3. SOUNDBITE (French) Adam, No lst namr given coordinator of the Mahamat Deby supporters' office:
“Our office is really happy, we're so happy we can't express it properly. Before (even the elections), we knew we were going to win, we won and now we're going to get ready for the big party. This is just not enough.”
4. Various of young supporters in Ndjamena’s streets celebrating the victory of Deby
5. SOUNDBITE (French) Adoum Mohamed, Ndjamena resident:
“So everyone's happy. We've heard about the (high) turnout, which shows that people are really aware and that they were mature enough to achieve it. I guess the majority (of voters) have fulfilled their (civic) duty.”
6. Various of young supporters and military personnel celebrating
STORYLINE:
Supporters of incumbent Chadian president, General Mahamat Deby Itno took to the streets of the capital late on Thursday after the country’s electoral commission declared him victorious in the first round of voting with nearly two-thirds of the vote, something that the opposition decried as false.
Supporters flocked to the presidential palace perimeters and were joined in celebration by soldiers stationed in the area to safeguard the nation’s military leader.
Adam, who introduced himself to the AP as a coordinator for the Mahamat Deby supporters' but did not give his last name said they “knew we were going to win, we won and now we're going to get ready for the big party. This is just not enough.”
The national agency that manages Chad’s election released results of Monday's vote weeks earlier than planned.
The figures showed Deby Itno won with just over 61% of the vote, with the runner-up Succès Masra falling far behind with over 18.5% of the vote.
Hours ahead of Thursday’s announcement, Masra published a speech on Facebook accusing the authorities of planning to manipulate the outcome. During the 11 minute speech, Masra appeared in a blue suit at a podium with the national flag in the background and claimed victory, saying the incumbent was planning to reverse the outcome of the vote.
He called on Chad’s military, police and other security forces to stop following Deby’s orders.
Chad is seen by the U.S. and France as one of the last remaining stable allies in the vast Sahel region following military coups in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger in recent years. The ruling juntas in all three nations have expelled French forces and turned to Russia’s mercenary units for security assistance instead.
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13 май 2024
